Ornamental chain



Aug. 22, 1939. .w. F. HESS ORNAMENTAL CHAIN Filed Dec. 27, 1938 wdl iw 'BY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Armbrust Chain Company, a

Rhode Island corporation of Application December 2'7, 1938, Serial No. 247,852

11 Claims.

My present invention relates to the manufacture of jewelry, and has particular reference to ornamental chains and their manufacture.

It is the principal object of my invention to 5 provide a novel chain construction which does not require auxiliary link mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to form an ornamental chain from easily manufactured and assembled stampings,

10 A further object of my invention is to provide a very strong ornamental chain that will resist separation of the links and cannot be pulled apart by ordinary pull stresses.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- 15 vide a chain construction that may be readily decorated with selected designs, and which may be quickly ornamented by means of plating, painting, lacquering, enamelling, and the like.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel method of assembly and a novel articleof manufacture more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the appended claims.

Jewelry chains such as are used for bracelet bands, belts, and the like, comprise ornamental links which are usually connected by additional joining rings, in order to obtain desired relative flexibility and movement. If an excessive pulling pressure is exerted on the chain ends, the joining rings may be pulled apart so as to disconnect the ornamental links. I have found it desirable to form ornamental links so that they may be hingedly joined together without the use of separate joining rings, and will resist the separating tendency of pulling pressures exerted on the chain ends. To this end, I provide ornamental links which have pivot means integral therewith, and also pivot fingers which may be so positioned in. the pivot means of adjacent links as to present an increased resistance to pulling stresses.

Referring to the drawing, the ornamental chain I is formed of a plurality of separate ornamental links H. These links are each formed of metal stampings l2, see Fig. 2, which include two link sections l3 and I4, preferably of half-cylindrical form, joined by a flat connector bar l5 which 50 has spaced finger lugs l6 extending upwardly therefrom, and openings ll therebetween and preferably extending laterally from the spaced finger lugs, it being found desirable to provide at least two sets of finger lugs and openings for 55 an elongated link construction. The finger lugs preferably extend back to form part of the stock of the link sections.

The link section I4, see Fig. 2, has hinge tabs l8 extending horizontally therefrom, having openings IS, the tabs and openings being aligned 5 with and corresponding in number to the spaced finger lugs.

In assembling the chain, a stamping I2 is positioned at right angles to an adjacent stamping, see Fig. 3, the tabs of the second stamping being 10 passed through the openings ll of the first stamping. The two linksections of the first stamping are then bent or turned to join, into a completed link, see Fig. 4, whereby each pair of spaced finger lugs turn so as to enter into the corresponding openings l9. Since the connector bar is of relatively narrow width, the edges and ends of the two link sections may be forced into contact and the spaced finger lugs of each pair, which are swung by the turning movement of the link sections, arecause'd to overlap, see Fig. 5, within the openings l9, thus providing an extremely strong connection. The extent of overlapping may be governed by changing the width of the connector bar; if desired, the parts may be proportioned so that there is no overlapping, and instead merely a butt end joining, but this arrangement does not provide the pull resistance that is obtained by overlapping the finger lugs. Moreover, the connecting parts are all concealed, as the joining of the two link sections effectively covers the locking finger lug arrangement.

It is thus evident that the novel invention utilizes readily stamped out parts, which may be assembled by hand or by machine, which may be of any suitable metal, and which may be stamped with ornamental designs, and ornamented by plating, enamellin painting, lacquering and the like, the resultant ornamental chain being readily manufactured and assembled at a low cost, and being very strong and sturdy.

While I have described a specific constructional embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the materials used, in the size and shape of the parts, and in the number and spacing of the connecting elements, may be made to suit the requirements for different chain designs, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links, each link comprising link sections joined by a connecting bar with openings and spaced lugs on opposite sides of said openin one of said sections having a tab, said tab being aligned with the spaced lugs and having an opening, comprising the steps of positioning adjacent link sections with the tab of one section passing through the bar opening of the other section, and moving the link sections to join While turning the spaced lugs to abut within the tab opening.

2. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links, each link comprising link sections joined by a connecting bar with openings; and spaced lugs on opposite sides of said openings, one of said sections having a tab, said tab being aligned with the spaced lugs and having an opening, comprising the steps of positioning adjacent link sections with the tab'of one section passing through the bar opening of the other sec tion, and moving the link sections to join while turning the spaced lugs to overlap within the tab opening.

3. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links, each link comprising hollow half cylindrical link sections joined by a connecting bar with openings and spaced lugs on opposite sides of said openings, one of said sections having tabs, each of said tabs being aligned with the spaced lugs and having an opening, comprising the steps of positioning adjacent link sections with the tabs of one section passing through the bar openings of the other section, and moving the link sections to join while turning the spaced lugs to abut within the tab openings, whereby the turned lugs are positioned within the hollow link formed by the joined half cylindrical sections.

4. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links, each link comprising hollow half cylindrical link sections joined by a connecting bar with openings and spaced lugs on opposite sides of said openings, one of said sections having tabs, each of said tabs being aligned with the spaced lugs and having an opening, comprising the steps of positioning adjacent link sections with the tabs of one section passing through the bar openings of the other section, and moving the link sections to join while turning the spaced lugs to overlap within the tab openings, whereby the turned lugs are positioned Within the hollow link formed by the joined half cylindrical sections.

5. A metal stamping for an ornamental chain comprising spaced sections joined by a connector bar, said bar having an opening and struck up lugs on opposite sides of said opening, one section having a lateral tab, said tab being aligned with said bar opening and having an opening therein.

6. A metal stamping for an. ornamental chain comprising spaced half cylindrical sections joined by a connector bar, said bar having an opening and struck up lugs. on opposite sides of said opening, one section having a lateral tab, said tab being aligned with said bar opening and having an opening therein.

7. An ornamental chain comprising a plurality of links, each link having a lateral tab with an opening, the adjacent link having an opening receiving said tab and having finger lugs within said tab opening and overlapping therein.

A 8. An ornamental chain comprising a plurality of hollow links, each link having a lateral tab with an opening; the adjacent link having an opening receiving said tab and having finger lugs within said tab opening and overlapping therein. 9. An ornamental chain comprising a plurality of hollow links, each link being generally cylindrical and having a lateral tab with an opening, the adjacent link havingan opening receiving saidtab andhaving finger lugs within said tab opening and overlapping therein.

10. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links formed of stampings with complementary open halves connected to each other and provided with openings between the halves having spaced lugs on opposite sides thereof and aligned tabs on the edge of one half of the stamping, comprising the steps of placing the tabs of one stamping into the openings and between the lugs of the adjacent stamping, completing the link by folding the complementary halves of the stamping to closed position and simultaneously causing the lugs to lock the tabs of the adjacent stamping.

11. The method of assembling an ornamental chain having links formed of stampings with complementary open halves connected to each other and provided with openings between the halves having spaced lugs. on opposite sides thereof and aligned tabs on the edge of one half of the stamping, comprising the steps of placing the tabs of one stamping into the openings and between the lugs of the adjacent stamping, completing the link by folding the complementary halves of the stamping to closed position and simultaneously causing the lugs to overlap and lock the tabs of the adjacent stamping.

WILLIAM F. HESS. 

